Huevos Rancheros

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle four tortillas with water, and heat up in the microwave for about 15 seconds, until soft and pliable. Brush one side with vegetable oil. Arrange each tortilla in a small bowl, oiled side facing up. Be careful not to tear them—you can usually get them in nicely with one or two pleats (see photo).

2. Bake tortilla shells for 10-15 minutes, until they are beginning to turn light golden in spots, and are toasted enough to hold a ‘bowl’ shape. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. Dollop 1/4 cup refried beans in each tortilla bowl.

4. Top each with a poached egg (seasoned with ground chile) and about 1/8 cup cheddar cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

6. Sprinkle with chopped chives and cilantro, and diced avocado (if you have a nice ripe one, which I did not). Serve with salsa.

Notes: I used organic, vegetarian refried beans. I sauteed 1/2 small onion until translucent, added a few dashes of cumin, cayenne, and salt, then added 1 clove minced garlic and 1 minced jalepeno. I cooked everything until soft, then stirred this in with the beans, along with the juice from one lime. If you don’t have a can of refried beans available, just mash up a cup of black or pinto beans and add the ingredients above.

I love poached eggs, and I like them in this dish with a soft-set yolk. A fried egg will give you the same taste effect, but will not have the same cute little pod shape. Scrambled eggs will suffice if you prefer not to serve runny yolks. Here’s a tutorial on how to poach an egg, which can be a simple yet daunting task:

1. First, the fresher your eggs, the easier they will be to poach. A grocery store egg just doesn’t poach up as nicely, but it will still work.

2. Heat a large, shallow saute pan with about 4 inches of water (nonstick works well if you have it). Heat until it is almost boiling, but bubbles are not breaking the surface. Add in a generous glug of nice-tasting vinegar (this helps the whites coagulate quickly).

3. Crack the eggs carefully in a small bowl or ramekin, trying not to break the yolk. Fish out any shell pieces, then pour into the simmering water, holding the bowl very close to the surface.

4. After about 30 seconds, when the white starts to set, go in with a spoon and gently unstick it from the bottom, and gather any straying whites close to the yolk. After about 2 minutes, gently roll the egg over. Cook f0r 3 minutes for a very soft yolk, 5 minutes for a little more firmness.

5. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the moisture. Blot the tops of the eggs gently. These can be refrigerated for a couple of hours before using.